The Devil and the Sun
by AKLuthienne
Summary: Exactly 66 years since the devil had been expelled from their midst, rousing music consumed the hearts of the villagers as they danced their way across the wooden vaulted room as the raucous band continued to play. As the music hit crescendo, the damp twilight air fell upon them and a wall of mist swept through the mountaintop valley. The door suddenly swung open and they gasped..


**The Devil and the Sun**

by A.K. Luthienne

The air was damp, twilight upon them as a wall of mist swept through the mountaintop valley. Rousing music consumed the hearts of the villagers as they laughed and danced their way across the wooden vaulted room, drinking copious amounts of the local brew as the raucous band continued to play. Tonight was a night to remember. Exactly 66 years since the devil had been expelled from these parts: for the man in question had most certainly expressed every facet of behaviour that would be expected of the devil. When he had arrived in the village out of the blue, he had caused quite a stir.

Cutting a dashing figure, all had fallen under his enchantment it seemed as he had expressed his unusual way of thinking, had encouraged the villagers to leave behind the stories they had grown up with, to leave behind the rules that society and each other placed upon themselves and to begin to listen to and follow the voice inside of each one of them, the voice that expressed what their heart truly yearned for. They each had a destiny, one they were creating for themselves, and no one destiny was the same as the next persons. Yet to uncover it all they had to do was follow the voice within them he explained and stop listening to what others were telling them.

Who was this man named simply Lahoumi, a strange name from an unknown language, a name meaning the sun? At first it seemed as if a magic had befallen the village as excitement mounted while one by one the villagers felt liberated at his teachings. Children began to speak out, questioning why certain practices and rules were in place, wives began to question husbands as to why the traditional role of cooking and cleaning should be their destined path. Why could they not be a poet, a painter? Lovers questioned the need to wed. Maybe they should simply enjoy each others company now, knowing that they would be together for as long as their destiny kept them together. Yet it didn't take long for the arguments to begin. Mother battled with son, husband with wife, friends, lovers as each of them became resentful of each others emerging destiny. All the while Lahoumi looked on, sadness filling his heart, wondering at the free will innate within people that was quashed by those same people's own self imposed rules and regulations and willingness to give away control of their own destiny to everyone else but themselves. Why had a realisation of their own choices led to a vilification of others choices? Maybe they simply couldn't handle free will after all? Maybe they felt safe when trapped by others ideas of how their own life should look? Maybe they were not ready to make choices for themselves that could shape their future and that of the world? Carnage began to unleash as the villagers anger reached fever pitch until one aged farmer decided to call a secret meeting, ensuring that Lahoumi was not present. "This man arrives in our village, weaves a spell of magic upon us all, creates division and chaos through his teachings and watches as we pull each other to pieces. The harmony of our village is gone. He is the devil in disguise," he declared as the others willingly accepted his explanation, for how could anyone who created such havoc be anything but the evil Devil personified? Throwing open the doors to the village hall to cast the devil out from amongst their midst, they watched a tall, dashing, lone figure walking down the mountain path away from them, a wall of mist sweeping in towards them as he walked, a haunting sound sweeping up from the valley.

Tonight, 66 years later, many who remembered that night were still dancing to the music and many who did not experience that night knew of it intimately through the tales that had been told and exaggerated over the years of this horned, perilous beast who had descended amongst their midst. As the music hit a crescendo, a haunting sound swept through the valley, the wall of fog reached the village hall and crept in through the vast oak door as it swung open revealing the tall, dashing figure of Lahoumi. The elder villagers gasped in horror, recognising he had not aged one day since they last saw him, while many younger villagers gazed with anticipation at the man radiating the brilliance of the sun.

The aged farmer stood tall for his extremely long years and rounding the villagers behind him declared in a trembling hoarse voice, "We cast you out because you are the devil. Be gone from our midst."

Scanning the group of villagers, taking in the scene of both abhorrence and delight amongst the many faces, Lahoumi took a deep breath and spoke,

"66 years ago you cast me aside naming me the devil because you were not ready to accept your own free will and that your own choices could shape your destiny. I have returned tonight to see are you now ready to know who the devil truly is?"


End file.
